Hopper barge for transporting especially liquid waste matter



April 22, 1969 BQVAN DER WERFF 3,

HOPPER BARGE FOR TRANSPORTING ESPECIALLY LIQUID WASTE MATTER Filed'June 9. 196'? United States Patent 7 US. Cl. 114-37 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A hopper barge fol-transporting waste matter to and unloading same in the open sea comprising a double bottom acting as an air-case and passageways at the stem and the stern which can be closed by hinged sector-shaped valves. The air-case extends along the entire length of the cargo-hold and from board to board; the passageways and the valves extend across the entire width of the hold.

The present invention relates to a hopper barge for transporting material to be dumped in open water comprising passageways adjacent the stem and the stern, which are adapted to be closed by closing means, in order to allow during sailing, water to flow through the cargohold for the material to be carried along.

It is a drawback of the known vessels of this type that they are ill-suited to transport liquefied chemical and biological waste to the open sea.

It is an object of this invention to obviate this drawback and to provide a vessel for transporting such kind of waste to unload it in the sea.

According to this invention the hopper barge is provided with a double bottom which constitutes an air-case extending along the entire length of the cargo-hold and from board to board.

Furthermore, according to this invention, the means for closing the passageways preferably consistsof sector-shaped valves which open inwardly on a hinge and .along a scrape-off wall, said hinge being located at the top of the passageways.

Also, according tothis invention, the passageways and the valves extend across the entire width of the cargohold, so that this hold can be scavenged and emptied completely during unloading.

Finally, according to the invention, the barge is preferably covered.

ln'illustration of this invention an embodiment will now-be described with referenceto the accompanying drawing in which part of the barge according to the invention is shown diagrammatically-in longitudinal section.

Referring to the drawing,l is a cargo-hold; 2 a double bottom; '3 the upper wall of the double bottom; 4 a passageway in the stem and the stem; 5 a sector-shaped valve for closing the passageway 4; 6 the hinge of the valve 5; 7 a scrape-off wall along which the valve is movable; 8 the forepeak or afterpeak of the barge; and 9 is the deck. To operate the valve 5, which has a hollow construction to secure buoyancy, a hydraulic jack 11 is hinged at 12 to a derrick on the deck 9. The piston rod 13 of the jack 11 is hinged to the valve 5 at 14. Broken lines indicate the position of the valve and the hydraulic jack in the closed state of the valve 5.

3,439,642 Patented Apr. 22, I969 The bargeis used in the following manner.

The cargo is pumped on board through a pipe system while the valves 5 in the stem and the stern are closed. At sea, at the place of discharge, the vessel stops and the valves 5 in the stem and the stern are simultaneously opened. The cargo then flows out of the barge both at the stem and at the stern, and an upward force is exerted on the barge as the unloading operation proceeds. After the barge has been unloaded and is homeward-bpund again, the valves 5 will remain open in order for the residues of the cargo to be scavenged from the hold 1.

When the barge has entered the harbor and is at rest, the upper wall 3, or the tank top 3, of the double bottom 2 will become dry, and the valves 5 may be closed. Thus swept clean, the barge can sail to its loading place again.

A further advantage of sailing at sea in empty condition with the valves 5 in the open state is that much ivater flows through the hold, thereby increasing the draughtof water the barge is drawing.

As the specific gravity of the waste does not differ much from a value of l, the barge with the double bottom 2 designed as an air-case will have adequate buoyancy. The whole space between the tank top 3 and the deck 9 can' then be used as cargo-hold 1. For the sake of stability it is necessary to use a mid-longitudinal partition.

It relatively heavier cargo is to be transported, it is recommended to creat buoyancy not only in the double bottom 2, but. also in air-cases in the sides of the vessel because otherwise the double bottom would become too high for the cargo-hold of the ship to be scanvenged. In this case, the cargo-hold need not be provided with a longitudinal partition, because the air-cases in the sides guarantee sulficient stability. 7

.It is an advantage of the inwardly opening valves 5 that waves and pitching cannot damage these valves.

Because of the sector-shaped construction of the valves 5 and the presence of the scrape-off wall 7 the valves can freely open inwardly without it being necessary for them to displace any cargo.

Water thatmay have penetrated into the space between 'the scrape-off wall 7 and the partition of the peak 8 can escape via the hinge 6 when the valve 5 isopencd. .This space is sealed by guard slabs which prevent dirt from penetrating into said space.

Furthermore, the load on the valve 5 is very favourable, because the forces exerted on it by the cargov are all resisted by the shaft 6.

In the empty condition of the barge, the sector-shaped valves 5 tend to close the passageways 4 on account of their weight. I

In the loaded condition of the barge, the valves 5 tend to open it on account of the upward force exerted by the water.

Use can be made of this for the operation of the valves. This operation, which is effected here by the hydraulic jack 11 as shown in the drawing, may also he cllected by other mcchanicalmcans and by remote control.

The building of the barges according to this invention is very simple, and so is the operation thereof. Also a pumping system to get the cargo overboard is unnecessary. The operators'donot come into contact with the waste matter.

I claim:

1. A hopper barge for transporting material to be discharged in open water, said barge having a hold and passageways at the stem and stem of ,the barge communicating with the hold for the llow of water through the hold, while the barge is sailing, for flushing the material from the hold, means for closing said passageways to prevent flushing of the material from the hold until the barge has reached a selected destination, said barge including a double bottom constituting an air case extending the entire length of the hold and from board to board, said double bottom having an upper surface which forms a floor for the hold, said double bottom having a buoyancy at least equal to the weight of the unloaded barge whereby the upper surface of the double bottom will be raised above the surface of the water when the barge is unloaded. o

2. A barge as claimed in claim 1 wherein said means to? closing the passageways comprises a hollow sectorshaped valve for each passageway which is pivotably supported for movement between a raised position in 4 which the passageway is open and lowered position in which the passageway is closed.

3. A barge as claimed in claim' 2 wherein said valve inthe closed position is partly immersed in the water. 4. A barge as claimed'in claim 3 comprising a hinge supporting each valve at the top of the respective passageway.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 248,820 10/1881 Wicks ll4-37 984,010 2/1911 Kuhn ll4--37 1,370Q9l2 3/1921 Reid ll4-;-27

TRYGVE M. BLIX, Primary Examiner. 

